The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a photographic film transparency into a slide mount.
Photographic film transparencies are generally severed from a photographic film web and mounted in individual slide mounts to prepare photographic slides. The exposed image of the prepared photographic slide is then viewed in cooperation with a slide projector or other visualizing means.
One popular form of slide mount is the Pakon plastic slide mount sold by Pakon, Inc., the assignee of the present application. The Pakon, Inc. plastic slide mount is generally constructed of upper and lower plastic frame sections connected along an outer border to form a pocket. The slide mount includes an aperture enclosed by an inner border, and a slit located adjacent to the outer border to define a first insertion opening. The photographic film transparency is inserted through the first insertion opening and advanced through the pocket of the slide mount to position the developed image within the aperture of the slide mount. To completely insert the film transparency into the pocket, a leading edge of the film transparency is inserted past a second insertion opening formed between the upper and lower frame sections at a side of the inner border furthest from the slit.
The upper and lower frame sections of the Pakon, Inc. slide mount are formed of a resilient plastic material. The slit defining the first insertion opening is normally closed. During operation, the upper and lower frame sections are forced apart at the slit by a separating force to define the first and second insertion openings The leading edge of the film transparency is inserted through the first and second insertion openings and advanced into the pocket of the slide mount. The resiliency of the material of the slide mount causes the upper and lower frame sections to close after the film is completely inserted into the slide mount and the separating force is released.
As previously mentioned, to complete the photographic slide, the leading edge of the film transparency must be fed through the second insertion opening defined between the upper and lower frame sections at an inner border furthest from the slit so that the leading edge of the film transparency completely advances into the pocket. Generally, the leading edge of the film transparency is fed through the first insertion opening without difficulty. However it is more difficult to guide the leading edge of the film transparency through the second insertion opening than to guide the leading edge through the first insertion opening. This is particularly so if the film transparency is unsupported along the length of the pocket. This difficulty is aggravated by the fact that the film transparency has a tendency to curl since it is originally wrapped around a reel and stored as a part of a rolled photographic film web. Thus, when advanced, particularly when advanced unsupported, the film transparency has a tendency to want to return to its original wrapped position. Also, the emulsion with which the photographic film is coated causes the film transparency to curl along a direction of advancement of the film transparency through the slide mount The propensity of the film transparency to curl is further aggravated by an insertion force which is applied to advance the film transparency through the pocket of the slide mount.
Because the leading edge of the film transparency has a tendency to curl, it is often difficult to align the leading edge with the second insertion opening to completely insert the film transparency into the pocket of the slide mount. If the film transparency curls before it is inserted through the second insertion opening, the slide mounting apparatus will jam and any further application of insertion force to the film transparency will cause the film transparency to buckle. When this occurs, quite often, the exposed film transparency is destroyed and the developed image is lost forever. Also, at this time it is necessary to stop operation of the apparatus to clear the defectively mounted photographic slide and to correct any misalignment of the film caused by the jamming.
Thus, there has been a continuing need to develop an apparatus for mounting a film transparency into a slide mount where the film transparency is not particularly prone to misalignment before the film transparency is completely inserted into the pocket of the slide mount. In particular, there has been a continuing need to develop an apparatus to facilitate the insertion of the film transparency through the second insertion opening to complete the photographic slide of the film transparency.